Electrical connectors provide signal and power connection between electronic devices using signal and power contacts supported within a connector housing. For example, computers and other electronic devices often may include a plurality of interconnected printed circuit boards (PCBs) connected by electrical connectors. It is common for a computer to have a motherboard and one or more other boards that execute or perform specialized operations or tasks. These specialized boards are often referred to as daughter cards. Connections between such PCBs allow for the transfer of power between boards, and/or for the transfer of information, such as data transfer or control signals.
For board-to-board PCB mounting, it is important that the boards be physically separated, yet electrically connected. It is also important that the boards be mechanically supported to prevent excessive movement of the boards. A housing that contains the electrical contacts often serves as this support.
The connector may be attached to a first PCB, which may be a daughter card, by connecting one end of the contacts exposed on one side of the connector to electrical points on a surface of the first circuit board. This connection may be made by soldering or other known attachment methods including, but not limited to solder ball attachment, through hole soldering, and solder paste attachment, so as to permanently attach the connector to the first PCB. The connector is then attached to a second circuit board, which may be a motherboard. The connection to the second PCB may be made by press-fitting contacts of the connector into connective through holes of the second PCB. In such a manner, the connector provides an electrical connection as well as a physical support between the two circuit boards. Since the connector is press-fit to the second PCB, the first PCB may be removed, along with the connector, from the second PCB.
It may be important to provide security measures to prohibit or deter the first PCB from being removed and reused. At this time, no practical method has been developed to render inoperative a first PCB when removed from a second PCB.
Furthermore, no practical method has been developed to more broadly render at least one electrical device inoperative when electrically connected to a second electrical device and the first electrical device with the connector attached is removed.
Therefore, there is an unmet need to provide a connector for electrically connecting a first electrical device to a second electrical device in a manner such that if the electrical devices are physically and electrically separated, the connector, which is attached to the first electrical device, is rendered inoperative and cannot be re-mated.
Furthermore, there is an unmet need to provide a connector for electrically connecting a first PCB to a second PCB in a manner such that if the PCBs are physically and electrically separated, the connector, which is attached to the first PCB, is rendered inoperative and cannot be re-mated.